Second rare November tornado confirmed in Michigan, National Weather Service says
(CBS DETROIT) — The National Weather Service confirmed a second rare November tornado touched down in Michigan on Sunday.
An EF-0 tornado hit southwest Gratiot County at 5:50 p.m. Sunday. Another EF-0 tornado touched down in Holly about an hour after the one in Gratiot County.
"It's rare, but small tornadoes can spin up in a matter of minutes and then die out as fast as they develop," said CBS Detroit NEXT Weather meteorologist Troy Bridges. "When quick spin-ups happen, there is very little warning. Sometimes they can form in one or two radar scans and then be gone."
The Gratiot County tornado had an estimated path length of 2.4 miles but was only 10 yards wide and lasted for three minutes.
The NWS estimates the tornado reached a peak wind speed of 65 miles per hour. The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into six categories, ranging from EF-0 to EF-5. An EF-0 tornado reaches 65 to 85 mph.
The tornado touched down along Hayes Road between Rich Road and Alger Road in southwest Gratiot County. A tree was uprooted and fell onto a chain-link fence and a few headstones at a cemetery. Evidence shows winds were below 65 mph a few miles west of the starting point and a mile east of the endpoint.
The Holly tornado, which lasted for about two minutes, had an estimated path of one mile and, at its largest, was 50 yards wide. The tornado caused tree damage as well as damage to a construction site and several homes. No injuries have been reported.
Sunday's two spin-up tornadoes are similar to the deadly EF-1 tornado that touched down in Livonia in June. That tornado was 450 yards wide, had a 5.5-mile path, and was also a spin-up. A toddler was killed and his mother was critically injured when a tree fell on their home.
